Focus Verse: Ecclesiastes 9:5-6+10 “For the living know that they shall die; but the dead do not know anything, nor do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten. (6) Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; nor do they any longer have a part forever in all that is done under the sun…. (10) Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave where you go.”
The “Soul Sleep” Of The Deadis often overlooked by modern Christianity. Many, in an attempt to comfort their own souls, reference their loved ones as now being in Heaven. That they are mingling with their dead relatives in a celestial reunion. This is understandable, as these types of losses can be hard to handle. Yet, we will find that these concepts are not presented in scripture- neither by Jesus, the disciples, nor the patriarchs of old. What we find is that the dead enter into sleep, resting their souls until the resurrection. This doctrine is so complete in scripture, that it is irrefutable and rock solid. We will cover what the Bible clearly declares and prove these facts. The dead are not in Heaven- they are asleep.
Note: This Study is based upon the “Amazing Facts” Bible Study. While I have enhanced, added, and corrected some things, the concept of “Death as Soul Sleep” was first presented to me through the Amazing Facts Bible Study. While I do not agree with everything presented in those studies, the truth is the truth. The truth should always be celebrated. And I always want to give credit where it is due. I am not a fan of ministries that take someone else’s hard work for the Lord and present it as their own. Ultimately in all things, God receives the glory.
This portion is taken from “Escape From Babylon The Series- part 26: The Spiritual Man and Facing Your Demons- Part 2”, which you can get the full study at BrotherLance.com
The Foundation Of Knowing What Goes Where At Death
How many bodies make up a human? 2 – The Natural and the Spiritual body.
1 Corinthians 15:44 “It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.”
How many pieces of a human are there? 3 – The Spirit, Soul, and the Body.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 “And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blamelessly at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
How are they all related?
The Body houses the Soul, and the Soul houses the Spirit.
Hebrews 4:12 “For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing apart of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Don’t some churches teach that the Spirit and the Body make up the Soul?
Yes, and they get that from the following verse:
Genesis 2:7 “Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
Yet, just like we read above in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, think of it like this: “God formed man out of the dust of the ground”- this is the mortal body. “And breathed into his nostril the breath of life”- this is the spirit. “And man became a living soul” -this is the spiritual body.
Do you have any more proof to back this up? Yes. Jesus said:
Matthew 10:28 “Don’t fear those who can kill the body, fear him “God” who is able to destroy the body and soul in hell.”
So, the body and soul are destroyed in hell. If the spirit and body made the soul, wouldn’t you just say to kill the soul in hell? Yet, we know that the spirit God breathes goes back to God from where it came when we die.
Ecclesiastes 12:7 “Then the dust shall return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return to God who gave it.”
It is impossible for it to be true that the spirit and body make a soul- we are a creation folded three times.
Are all three- spirit, body, and soul, thrown into hell?
Yes, the Bible says: James 2:26 “the body without the spirit is dead.”
People are cast alive into Hell, though you should note that the spirit is not destroyed. The person is made to live again for their judgment and punishment. After their Body and Soul are destroyed, “the spirit goes back to God who gave it.” Ecclesiastes 12:7
On With The Study:
Man Is Made Alive By The Breath Of Life From God.
Genesis 2:7 “Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
The Person Is Alive As Long As The Spirit Of Life Remains In Them.
Job 27:1-4 “And Job continued the lifting up of His speech, and said, (2) As God lives, He has taken away my judgment; and the Almighty has made my soul bitter. (3) As long as my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils, (4) my lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.”
Revelation 11:11 “And after three days and a half, a spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood on their feet. And great fear fell on those seeing them.”
Job 33:4 “The Spirit of God made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”
? What Happens To The Body When A Person Dies?
Genesis 3:19 “For dust you are, And to the dust you will return.”
? What Happens To The Spirit Of Man When He Dies?
Ecclesiastes 12:7 “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”
Luke 23:46 “And crying with a loud voice, Jesus said, Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit. And when He had said this, He breathed out the spirit.”
Acts 7:59-60 “They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” (60) He kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he fell asleep.”
? Do Souls Die?
Ezekiel 18:4 “Behold, all souls are Mine. As the soul of the father, also the soul of the son, they are Mine. The soul that sins, it shall die.”
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
John 5:24 “Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”
We need to understand that the spirit of God, the spirit of life that is within us all, it cannot be destroyed. God does not and will not destroy the life-giving spirit that proceeds from Him. That life-giving power is just returned to God. For those who believe in Jesus and are counted worthy of salvation, it will remain with them forever. For the lost of the world it will be removed after the punishment of Hell. Then forever reside with God. And the memory of the lost will be no more.
? So Is Man Mortal?
Job 4:17a “Is mortal man be more just than God….”
Psalms 103:13-16 “As a father hath mercy on sons, Jehovah hath mercy on those fearing Him. (14) For He hath known our frame, Remembering that we are dust. (15) Mortal man! as grass are his days, As a flower of the field so he flourisheth; (16) For a wind hath passed over it, and it is not, And its place doth not discern it anymore.”
? Is The Flesh Also Mortal?
Romans 6:12 “Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.”
1 Corinthians 15:50 “Now I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood can’t inherit God’s Kingdom; neither does the perishable inherit imperishable.”
? That Must Mean Only God Is Immortal?
1 Timothy 6:13-16 “I command you before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate testified the good confession, (14) that you keep the commandment without spot, blameless, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ; (15) which in its own times he will show, who is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; (16) who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and eternal power. Amen.”
? So How Do We Become Immortal?
1 Corinthians 15:53-55 “For this perishable body must become imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable body will have become imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then what is written will happen: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” (55) “Death, where is your sting? Hell, where is your victory?”
? Do Good People Go To Heaven When They Die?
John 5:28-29 “Do not marvel at this, for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves shall hear His voice, (29) and shall come forth, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have practiced evil to the resurrection of condemnation.”
Acts 2:29+34-45 “Let us freely speak, The patriarch David, he is both dead and buried, his sepulcher is with us unto this day,…. For David didn’t ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit by my right hand, (35) until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”
? What Will I Know When I Die?
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6+10 “For the living know that they shall die; but the dead do not know anything, nor do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten. (6) Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; nor do they any longer have a part forever in all that is done under the sun…. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave where you go.”
? Can I Praise The Lord In The Grave?
Psalms 115:17 “The dead praise not the lord, neither any that go down in silence.”
Psalms 6:5 “In death there is no remembrance of you In the grave who can give you thanks?”
Isaiah 38:18-19 “For the grave cannot praise You, death cannot rejoice in You; they who go down into the pit cannot hope for Your truth. (19) The living, the living, he shall praise You, as I do this day; the father shall make Your truth known to the sons..”
Psalms 94:17 “Unless Jehovah had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.”
So, the dead praises not and they call death going into silence.
? Can I Communicate With The Living When I Am Dead?
Job 14:12+21 “So man lies down, and rises not, till heavens be no more, they shall not wake, nor be raised out of their sleep…. His sons come to honor, and he knows it not; they are brought low, but he perceives it not.”
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 “For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten. (6) Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.”
Psalms 146:4 “His breath goes forth, he returns to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.”
So, we know nothing, praise not the Lord, and death is called sleep.
? What Did Jesus Call Death?
John 11:11-14 “He said these things; and after that He said to them, Our friend Lazarus sleeps. But I go so that I may awaken him out of sleep. (12) Then His disciples said, Lord, if he sleeps, he will get well. (13) But Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He had spoken of taking rest in sleep. (14) Then Jesus said to them plainly, Lazarus is dead.”
? What Did His Disciples Call Death?
Matthew 27:52-53 “and the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep arose, (53) and coming out of the tomb after His resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
1 Corinthians 15:17-20 + 51 “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. (18) Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished. (19) If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable. (20) But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep. (51) Behold I show you a mystery, we shall not all sleep.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 “But we don’t want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don’t grieve like the rest, who have no hope. (14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.”
? How Long Will We Sleep In The Grave?
John 5:25+6:40 “The hour is coming when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live. Everyone that seeks the son, and believes in the son, may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Job 14:10-15 “But man dies and is cut off; and man expires, and where is he? (11) As the waters fail from the sea, and a river falls away and dries up, (12) so man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, they shall not awake, nor be awakened out of their sleep. (13) Who will grant that You would hide me in the grave, that You would keep me secret, until Your wrath is past, that You would set me a fixed time and remember me? (14) If a man die, shall he revive? All the days of my warfare I will wait, until my change comes. (15) You shall call, and I will answer You; You shall have a desire to the work of Your hands.”
2 Peter 3:10 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”
What Will Happen To The Dead At The Second Coming?
Acts 24:15b “…There will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.”
Daniel 12:2 “Many that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting
life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt”
John 5:28-29 “ The hour is coming, all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, They that have done good, to the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, to the resurrection of damnation.”
Revelation 22:12 “I come quickly; my reward is with me, to give every man according to his works” -Good or bad.-
For the Righteous:
Isaiah 26:19 “The dead men shall live, awake and sing, you that dwell in the dust.”
1 Corinthians 15:51-53 “The dead (in Christ) will be raised incorruptible.”
Psalms 17:15 “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I will be satisfied, when I awake, with your likeness.” –Christ’s kingdom is setup at His Second Coming-
Matthew 25:31 “And whenever the Son of Man may come in his glory, and all the holy messengers with him, then he shall sit upon a throne of his glory; (32) and gathered together before him shall be all the nations, and he shall separate them from one another, as the shepherd doth separate the sheep from the goats, (33) and he shall set the sheep indeed on his right hand, and the goats on the left. (34) 'Then shall the king say to those on his right hand, Come ye, the blessed of my Father, inherit the reign that hath been prepared for you from the foundation of the world;”
For The Unrighteous:
Matthew 25:41 “Then shall he say also to those on the left hand, Go ye from me, the cursed, to the fire, the age-during, that hath been prepared for the Devil and his messengers;”
The Order Of Resurrection Of The Righteous Sleeping Dead
1 Corinthians 15:21-23 “For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man. (22) For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. (23) But each in his own order: (1-) Christ the (2-) First Fruits, (3-) then those who are Christ’s, at his coming.”
(1) Jesus Christ
John 20:11-18 “But Mary was standing outside at the tomb weeping. So, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb, (12) and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. (13) They asked her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have laid him.” (14) When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, and didn’t know that it was Jesus. (15) Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” She, supposing him to be the gardener, said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” (16) Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him, “Rabboni!” which is to say, “Teacher!” (17) Jesus said to her, “Don’t hold me, for I haven’t yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers, and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (18) Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had said these things to her.”
1 Corinthians 15:20-22 “But now Christ has risen from the dead, and has become the first fruit of those who slept. (21) For since death is through man, the resurrection of the dead also is through a Man. (22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all will be made alive.”
(2) Resurrection of First Fruits: At The Death Of Jesus
Matthew 27:51-53 “And, behold! The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And the earth quaked, and the rocks were sheared, (52) and the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep arose, (53) and coming out of the tomb after His resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.”
The Church Fathers also wrote about this event:
Ignatius to the Trallians (AD 70–115): “For says the Scripture, ‘Many bodies of the saints that slept arose,’ (Matthew 27:52) their graves being opened. He descended, indeed, into Hades alone, but He arose accompanied by a multitude.”
Irenaeus (AD 120–200): “He [Christ] suffered who can lead those souls aloft that follow His ascension. This event was also an indication of the fact, that when the holy soul of Christ descended, many souls ascended and were seen in their bodies.”
Clement of Alexandria (AD 155–200): “‘But those who had fallen asleep descended dead, but ascended alive.’ Further, the Gospel says, ‘that many bodies of those that slept arose,’—plainly as having been translated to a better state.”
(3) Those Who Sleep In Christ At His Return
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 “But we don’t want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don’t grieve like the rest, who have no hope. (14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. (15) For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep. (16) For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, (17) then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever. (18) Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
Death Is Soul Sleep Until Resurrected
The Following Is A List Of Exceptions Given In The Bible:
Enoch
Hebrews 11:5 “By faith Enoch was translated so as not to see death, and he was not found, because God had translated him; for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” See: Genesis 5:21-24
Moses
Deuteronomy 34:4-6 “And Jehovah said to him, This is the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, I will give it to your seed. I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there. (5) And Moses the servant of Jehovah died there in the land of Moab, according to the Word of Jehovah. (6) And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor. But no man knows of his grave to this day.”
Elijah
2 Kings 2:11 “And it happened as they went on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire came, and they separated between them both. And Elijah went up in a tempest into Heaven.”
Moses, Elijah , & Jesus
Mark 9:2-4 “And after six days Jesus took Peter and James and John and led them up into a high mountain, apart by themselves. And He was transfigured before them. (3) And His clothing became shining, exceedingly white as snow such as no fuller on earth could whiten them. (4) And Elijah with Moses was seen by them, and they were talking with Jesus.”
